Game apparatus



P 1956 E. c. JONES ETAL 2,762,625

GAME APPARATUS Filed Aug. 2, 1954 I6 ABCDEFGHIJ/ I5 I 4 I2 JIO INVENTORS.

EARL C.JONES A D BY GENEVA Ff JONE Uted States Patent GAlVIE APPARATUS Earl C. Jones and Geneva F. Jones, Indianapolis, Ind.

Application August 2, 1954, Serial No. 447,274

7 Claims. (Cl. 273-130) The present invention relates to game apparatus, and is particularly concerned with apparatus which comprises a base bearing suitable indicia and a playing field bearing a suitable design, together with means whereby the two major parts may be selectively secured to each other in a plurality of relative positions.

More particularly, the invention concerns itself with a game apparatus in which a playing field comprises a square area divided into a number of squares of uniform area. Preferably, but not necessarily, the squares are suitably segregated into a number (nine in the illustrated embodiment) of non-uniform groups, as, for instance, by means of irregular boundary lines. The base is provided with indicia arranged in two series so located as to be contiguous to adjacent sides of the playing field when the parts are assembled, whereby any square on the playing field may be designated by a combination of one index character from each series. It is an object of the present invention to provide means whereby the playing field can be selectively associated with the base in any one of a plurality of relative positions, whereby the designation of any individual square on the playing field can be modified by relocating the playing field.

To the accomplishment of the above and related objects, our invention may be embodied in the form illustrated in the accompanying drawings, attention being called to the fact, however, that the drawings are illustrative only, and that change may be made in the specific construction illustrated and described, so long as the scope of the appended claims is not violated.

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the game apparatus of the present invention with the parts assembled;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation thereof;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective showing one element of the means for securing the playing field selectively on the base;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary perspective showing the cooperating element of such means; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary enlargement of certain of the details shown in Fig. 2.

Referring more particularly to the drawings it will be seen that we have illustrated a base which may be of any desired contour, though it is illustrated as a rectangle. The playing field 11 is preferably square, has a top surface and a bottom surface, and is divided into a plurality of uniform squares 12 by, for instance, printed lines. As shown, there are ten squares 12 along each side of the playing field 11, though it will be obvious that any desired number of such squares may be provided.

Preferably, but not necessarily, boundary lines 13 are defined on the playing surface, by any suitable means, to segregate the squares 12 into non-uniform, and preferably irregular, groups 14. Preferably each group 14 will be further distinguished from adjacent groups by means of individual background colors; and, if desired, the segregation of groups may be effected by means of such contrasting colors even without the provision of the boundary lines 13.

Patented Sept. 11, 1956 "ice The base 10 carries, outside the region normally covered by the playing field 11, a series 15 of indicia or index characters corresponding in number and spacing to the squares 12 along the contiguous edge of the playing field. As shown, the series 15 is made up of numbers; and, if desired, a corresponding series 15' may be arranged in contiguity with the opposite edge of the playing field.

A second series'16 of indicia or index characters differing from the indicia of the series 15 and 15' is carried on the base in contiguity to a side of the playing field adjacent that with which the series 15 is associated; and, if desired, a similar series (not shown) may be arranged near the opposite edge of the playing field. The charasters of the series 16 are letters.

As a consequence of this arrangement, it will be obvious that any square 12 on the playing field may be designated, in any given position of the playing field relative to the base, by a combination of one index character from the series 15 with one index character from the series 16. Thus, with the parts arranged as shown, a selected square, such as S will be designated at D-3.

In the intended use of the game apparatus of the present disclosure, each of two players uses one such apparatus in such a fashion that the playing surface is not visible to his opponent. In turn, each player will call a combination such as, for instance, D-3, and his opponent will thereupon place a marker on his playing surface, on the square thus designated. In order that the calling player may not know, certainly, where the marker will be placed on his opponents playing field, it is desirable that the relationship between the playing field and the indicia series 15 and 16 of one player, shall be diiferent from the relationship existing on his opponents apparatus. Therefore, we have provided means whereby the playing field may be selectively arranged in any one of a plurality of positions relative to the indicia series.

While such means may take many forms, we have illustrated a preferred form which-will now be described.

A bridge, indicated generally by the reference numeral 17, is arranged on one or the other of the two parts 10 and 11. As shown, the bridge comprises a staple having parallel legs 18 and 18 driven into the upper surface of the base 10, with a body portion 19, extending between the two legs, spaced above the base surface. A spacer block 20 is secured to the center of the undersurface of the playing field 11, at the center thereof. As shown, the block 20 is square; but the essential limitation is that the radial extent of the block, in directions parallel with the boundaries of the squares 12, shall be uniform.

A plate 21 is fixedly secured to the undersurface of the block 20. As shown, the plate 21 is square; but again, the essential requirement is that the plate 21 shall extend substantially equally, in directions parallel with the boundaries of the squares 12, beyond the block 20. Additionally, each such extension should have a lateral dimension substantially equal to the length of the bridge body 19. Thus, the plate may be conceived to provide four radiating wings 23, 24, 25 and 26, each angularly spaced from the next adjacent finger. The block 20 and the plate 21 may be secured to the field element 11 in any desired manner such as, for instance, by means of a rivet 22.

The bridge 17 is located on the base in a position olfset from the point of intersection of the diagonals of the square whose adjacent sides are defined by the indicia series 15 and 16, by a dimension equal to one-half the square dimension of the block 20. The body 19 of the bridge is arranged parallel with one set of lines defining the squares 12; and is bisected by that perpendicular which extends through the point of intersection of the above-mentioned diagonals. As a consequence, when any one of the wings 23, 24, 25 or 26 is slipped beneath the bridge body 19 until the block 20 engages the bridge body, the playing field element 11 will be secured to the base with its adjacent edges properly related to the two indicia series and 16.

As shown, the wing 23 has thus been engaged beneath the bridge body 19. It will be clear that, if the playing field is detached from the base and is turned in a clockwise direction through 90, and if the Wing 24 is then inserted beneath the bridge body 19, the square S will then be designated H-4. If the wing 25 is inserted beneath the bridge, the square S will be designated 6-8; or if the wing 26 is inserted beneath the bridge, the square S will be designated C-7.

A-somewhat similar game apparatus, lacking, however, the essential features claimed herein, is disclosed in our copending application for design patent Serial No. 22,352, filed November 18, 1953.

We claim as our invention:

1. Game apparatus comprising a base, a polygonal playing field element having top and bottom surfaces and carrying, on its top surface, a square design made up of contiguous squares, means on the bottom surface of said element cooperable with means on said base for removably securing said element to said base in any one of four selective positions of rotation about an axis perpendicular to said top surface at the center of said element, said positions being spaced from each other by 90, the area of said base exceeding that of said element, and said base carrying a series of indicia contiguous to one edge of said element when the parts are assembled and a series of different indicia contiguous to an adjacent edge of said element, the indicia of each series being equal in number and spacing to the squares along the contiguous edge of said element, whereby each square on said element may be designated by a combination of an index character from each of said series and such designation will be modified when said element is shifted fromoneto another of such selective positions.

2. The game apparatus of claim 1 in which said squares are segregated into non-uniform groups.

3. The game apparatus of claim 2 in which the means for securing said element to said base comprises a bridge secured to, and upstanding from one of the parts to be assembled and arranged in parallelism with one of said series -of indicia when the parts are assembled, and a series of wings offset from the plane of the other of said parts and radiating from the center of said other part, said wings being angularly related to each other at 90 and being selectively engageable beneath said bridge.

4. The game apparatus of claim 1 in which the means for securing said element to said base comprises a bridge securedto, and upstanding from one of the parts to be assembled and arranged in parallelism with one of said 4 series of indicia when the parts are assembled, and a series of wings offset from the plane of the other of said parts and radiating from the center of said other part, said Wings being angularly related to each other at and being selectively movable through said bridge.

5. The game apparatus of claim 1 in which said two series of indicia define adjacent sides of a major square, and in which the means for securing said element to said base comprises a block secured to the other surface of said element at the center thereof and extending equidistantly from said center in all directions parallel with the boundaries of said squares, a plate secured to said block and extending beyond said block in all directions parallel with said .boundaries, and a bridge secured to and upstanding from said base, said bridge being parallel With one of said series of indicia, and being ofiset from the point of intersection of the diagonals of said major square by a dimension substantially equal to the dimension of extent of said block from the center of said element, said bridge further being bisected by the perpendicular thereto which passes through said point of intersection.

6. The game apparatus of claim 5 in which the lateral dimension of each portion of said plate which so extends beyond said block is substantially equal to the longitudinal dimension of said bridge.

7. Game apparatus comprising a base, a polygonal playing field element having top and bottom surfaces and carrying, on its top surface, a square design made up of contiguous squares, means on said base cooperable with said element for removably securing said element to said base in any one of four selective positions of rotation about an axis perpendicular to said top surface at the center of said element, said positions being spaced from each other by 90, the area of said base exceeding that of said element, and said base carrying a series of indicia contiguous to one edge of said element when the parts are assembled and a series of different indicia contiguous to an adjacent edge of said element, the indicia of each series being equal in number and spacing to the squares along the contiguous edge of said element, whereby each square on said element may be designated by a combination vof an index character from each of said series and such designation will be modified when said element is shifted from one to another of such selective positions.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 724,905 Manfred Apr. 7, 1903 1,374,139 Denniss Apr. 5, 1921 1,932,524 Jackson Oct. 31, 1933 1,980,637 Savory Nov. 13, 1934 2,053,598 Blau Sept. 8, 1936 2,055,159 Scofield Sept. 22, 1936 2,290,266 Bechtold July 21, 1942 

